פירוש על ברכות 9:2

זיקין – A star that appears like it opens up the firmament and shoots like an arrow from place to place. Alternatively, it is a star that appears like it has a long tail.

Introduction This mishnah continues to list various blessings recited upon seeing or hearing things.

זועות – That the earth quakes and trembles.

[On witnessing] comets, earthquakes, thunder, or windy storms one says, “Blessed be He whose strength and might fill the world.” These are phenomena that “fill the world” for people see them at many places at the same time.

רעמים – Sound is that heard in the firmament from clouds that pour forth water from one to another, as it says (Jeremiah 51:16), “When He makes His voice heard, There is a rumbling of waters in the skies.”

[On seeing] mountains, hills, seas, rivers or deserts one says, “Blessed be He who made creation.” These are geological structures that were a part of God’s original creation.

ועל הרוחות – that come in a storm-wind in vehemence and are not found other than occasionally.

Rabbi Judah says: one who sees the Great Sea should say, “Blessed be He who made the Great Sea,” if he sees it at intervals. This is the second time that we have seen Rabbi Judah rule that blessings have to be specific to the situation. The first was in 6:1. Here too he distinguishes between the “Great Sea,” which is the Mediterranean and other seas. Over the former he recites a specific blessing, whereas over other seas in rivers he recites a more generalized blessing. However, he only recites this special blessing if he sees the Great Sea periodically, which the Talmud explains as being once in thirty days. One who sees the Great Sea every day does not bless every day.

ברוך שכחו מלא עולם – And if he desires, he should recite the blessing, “Praised [are You God] who is the Author of Creation” for all of these are acts of creation as it is written (Psalms 135:7), “[He makes clouds rise from the end of the earth;] He makes lightning for the rain ; [He releases the wind from His vaults],”but on the mountains and on the hills, etc., one says, “Who is the Author of Creation, specifically, but he is not able to make the blessing on them, “that His power fills the world” which are not seen in most of the world, but rather each and every person [recites the blessing] in his place.

For rain and for good news one says, “Blessed be He that is good and grants good.” Some commentators say that one blesses over rain only if it hasn’t rained for a long time. However, others say that in Israel, a very dry country, people are so happy when it rains for the first time that they also recites the blessing the first time it rains in the rainy season.

הים הגדול – The Mediterranean Sea that surrounds the world (at least as the ancients understood it).

For bad news one says, “Blessed be the true judge.” Today this is the blessing that a person recites upon hearing that someone has died.

ברוך שעשה הים הגדול – On account of its size and importance, establishes a blessing for itself.

לפרקים – At thirty day intervals

על הגשמים – He recites the blessing, “Who Is Good and Does Good” as whomever possesses land in partnership with another, for this is implies "הטוב והמטיב"/Who is Good and Does Good”; – Good – for himself and “who does good”- for another; but he who lacks land altogether should say, “We give thanks to You, O LORD our God for every drop [of rain] that you have caused to fall for us, etc.” And if he owns land on his own, he makes the blessing, “שהחיינו/Who has Kept Us Alive.”